Very Good — This vintage item has no defects, but it may show slight traces of use.

SKU

RD-179130

Restoration and Damage Details

Patina

Materials

Mirrored Glass, Walnut

Color

Blonde, brown

Height

66 cm 66 cm

Diameter

50 cm

* Please note that items made of Rosewood are subject to a special export process that may extend the delivery time an additional 2 to 4 weeks

Shipping & Delivery

Shipping Method

Front Door Delivery - 2 to 4 weeks

Ships from

Italy

Returns

Returns accepted within 14 days of delivery, except for Made-to-order items

Delivery Options

Front Door Delivery:
(Included in Every Order)

A skilled driver will unload the item(s) from the delivery truck and bring it to your building’s doorstep. You will be responsible for further transport beyond that point. We recommend asking a family member or friend for an extra hand; alternatively, you may upgrade to In-Home Delivery (see below).

The delivery partner will email and/or call you at least one day in advance to arrange a delivery time.

A wooden crate may be used for intercontinental shipments for maximum protection.

A skilled driver or a team of two will bring your item(s) inside your home and place it in the immediate entryway. For unusually large or heavy items, we recommend asking a family member or friend for an extra hand, as we cannot send more than 2 drivers.

The delivery partner will email and/or call you one day in advance to arrange a delivery time.

A wooden crate may be used for intercontinental shipments for maximum protection.

Item will be left in its packaging after delivery.

A signature will be required upon delivery.

*Important Note

Please examine every order upon delivery. In the event that there are visible signs of damage or missing or incorrect pieces, please indicate the problem on the Delivery Note and contact us within 48 hours of delivery. A signed delivery receipt without notations of missing, damaged, or incorrect item(s) represents your acceptance of the complete order in perfect condition.

* Please note that items made of Rosewood are subject to a special export process that may extend the delivery time an additional 2 to 4 weeks

About the Designer

Pietro Chiesa

Art deco designer Pietro Chiesa was born in Milan in 1892, into a family of artists from Ticino, Switzerland. After studying at the Accademia de Belle Arti di Brera and training as an apprentice at the studio of furniture designer Giovan Battista Giannotti (both in Milan), Chiesa opened his own studio, Bottega di Pietro Chiesa, in 1921.

Best known for his glassware, Chiesa presented his work for the first time at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris. In 1933, Bottega di Pietro Chiesa merged with Fontana Arte, the Italian manufacturer of furnishings, glass, and lighting, which was launched by Gio Ponti and Luigi Fontana in 1932. Chiesa became the firm’s art director and ultimately designed numerous objects for Fontana Arte, including lamps, glass windows, tables, and objets d’art. Notable pieces include the Fontana table (1932), which was made from a single band of bent, clear glass, the Cartoccio vase (1932), and the lacquered brass Luminator floor lamp (1933).

Chiesa passed away in Paris in 1948.

About the Maker

Fontana Arte

Luigi Fontana founded his eponymous plate glass manufacturing company in Milan in 1881. As he achieved increasing success in the construction sector—which attracted new investors, including the multinational Saint-Gobain glass company—Luigi Fontana & Partners opened outlets both nationally and abroad, becoming one of the largest glass manufacturers in Italy.

Between 1930 and 1932, hoping to make inroads in the art glass and décor sector, Fontana hired famed Italian architect-designer Gio Ponti (1891-1979)—then art director for the ceramics company Richard Ginori—to consult and create new designs for the domestic market, leading to Ponti’s now-iconic 0024 Pendant (1931) and Bilia Table Lamp (1931/32). By 1933, the collaboration gave rise to Fontana Arte, an artistic glass works division of Fontana’s company. The same year, Fontana Arte acquired Italian designer Pietro Chiesa’s (1892-1948) glass workshop, Bottega di Pietro Chiesa, and Ponti and Chiesa shared the role of art director for the expanded company. Soon they were garnering wide acclaim for a variety of sophisticated glass objects, encompassing stained glass, lighting, decorative mirrors, sculptural pieces, and even furniture made of glass, most of which were characterized by a purity of form remarkable for the time. Early successes included Chiesa’s Fontana Coffee Table (1932), Cartoccio Vase (1932), Luminator Floor Lamp (1933), and 006 Series (1933/37).

Throughout the 1940s and early 1950s, Fontana Arte developed few new products, relying instead on iterations of Chiesa’s designs from the 1930s. This creative conservatism stemmed from the devastation of the war years and the economic turmoil that immediately followed. A few private commissions from hotels, offices, and museums helped sustain the company until the postwar recovery took hold in Italy.

In 1954, French-born designer Max Ingrand (1908-1969) took the helm as artistic director and ushered in a new era of fashionableness and acclaim for Fontana Arte. From chandeliers, sconces, and lamps to furniture, mirrors, and decorative objects, the company’s prolific, sometimes bespoke, output during the postwar era earned it a reputation for glamour and au courant style. One piece from the ’50s that remains a bestseller today is Ingrand’s Fontana Table (1954). Notably, many pieces produced by Ingrand in collaboration with Pietro Raimondi (of whom little is published) in the ’50s and ’60s are now popular on the vintage market.

In 1967, two years before Ingrand’s untimely death, Ponti returned to Fontana Arte as art director. Although short lived, his second tenure produced two iconic collections, the Pirellina and Pirellone (1967).

As the ‘60s drew to a close, and throughout most of the 1970s, Fontana Arte lost cachet. In 1972, Saint-Gobain took direct ownership, and production and material quality declined. In 1979, however, Fontana Arte changed hands again to another group of shareholders represented by CEO Carlo Guglielmi. A new, successful phase was established when Guglielmi brought in Italian architect Gae Aulenti as Fontana Arte’s new art director. Standout pieces from this era include Aulenti’s Tavolo con Ruote Table (1980) and Aulenti and Piero Castiglioni’s Parola Table Lamp (1980).

In 1998, Fontana Arte was awarded the ADI Compasso d'Oro in recognition for its significant contribution to the Italian design legacy. Cementing its position at the forefront of technical expertise and design flair, Fontana Art combined with the Nice Group in 2012. Twenty-first-century collaborations with architects and designers include Steven Holl, David Chipperfield, Vico Magistretti, GamFratesi, Karim Rashid, Form Us with Love, and Harry & Camila. Works produced by Fontana Arte can be found in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art (New York), Vitra Design Museum (Weil am Rhein), the Triennale di Milano, and more.